This one poured a dark cherry brown in color with a quickly dissipating beige head. When you hold it up to the light it is ruby red, like freshly stained wood. This smells like sourdough, vinegar, spoiled milk, and cherries. It instantly makes me think of Monks Cafe. The flavor is just ok. You get ALOT of sweetness though. I'd say it's cloyingly sweet before it goes into the slight sourness. You can actually pick of a trace of alcohol, which is very surprising considering it's only 6.2%. It's tastes of a mix of sweet fruits and condensed milk. Sweet Moses this beer is sweet! How do people drink a 750 by themselves? I kind of like Flanders Red Ales but this beer is far too sweet for me. It doesn't help that the sweetness is the prominent part of the after taste. It's just ok in my opinion. (799 characters)

pours out of the bottle a dark brown, red when held to the light, with only a slight head. smell is a very funky sourness. just a hint of Vichtenaar's richness in the mouth. somewhat daunting sourness. delicate, with a slightly metallic bite at the end. (253 characters)

Came in a 33cl bottle with best before date of 22-04-2006
The color was a really dark reddish brown mix with a real strong smell of fruits and spices which was evident almost immediately after pouring. I am not the biggest fan of lambric style beers so I wont diss this beer because of it. Very complex would be best served as a dessert beer rather than an actual meal beer. A very interesting mix of strong fruit flavors combined with a very earthy tone of wood added to the taste which makes sense because the beer was aged in oak casks. Overall a great choice of beer recommended for those who enjoy red wines or really rich fruity beers. (642 characters)

This is beer?? It tasted and smelled more like a wine than it did a beer and therefore it was very much not to my liking. It poured a large sized tan frothy head that consisted of fine-small bubbles. The body was opaque and carbonated with a red hue. The nose reminded me of pure wine as did the flavor. The mouthfeel was tingly, tangy, bitey and medium bodied. There was a fair amount of lacing with this beer. (411 characters)

Amber/ruby pour with off white head that showed some persistence.Aroma is very refreshing and fruity: sour funk, some plums, raspberries, and spicy phenols.Very sweet flavour, lots of redcurrants, more raspberries, some oranges and a hint of vanilla. Low sourness and acidity.Quite highly carbonated, but not overly so for the style. Would have liked some tannin-like astringency.Very refreshing overall, but too sweet. (423 characters)

Pours a dark burgundy-tinged amber colour with cream head of small bubbles that is here one moment and the next is settled out into swirling clouds of lace; it doesn't quite cling to the glass. Manifold trails of bead add life to the party. Pretty good.

Smell is musty and sour with a big balsamic vinegar aroma coming off that. Tinged with sweetness though, a touch of cherry and a good spicy belt of black pepper. Good vinous richness with oak and a whisper of honey as well, just part of a lovely sticky and sweet base that really must be smelled to do it any justice. Just wonderful.

Taste is an extremely sour Belgian affair, and sadly on first impression I can't count myself among its more ardent admirers. Starts with a tartness that is noticeably 'off' yet never puckering. Some might call it restrained, but I call it confused. The sweetness feels overdone, by contrast, and it lends the palate an overall spoiled quality that isn't so present in a Rodenbach or a Cantillon - because those beers just push with extreme force on the limits of sour. There is abundant fruit here, with cherry, gooseberries and apricots, but the sourness just renders them all a little off and gives a slight oxidised wine flavour overall. Mid-to-late is especially off-putting with a compost flavour. Look, on the right palate this might be an exception beer but, to me, everything tastes undercooked and the whole sweet/sour clash is a big turnoff. Points for complexity; not for balance.

A fair tingle on the mouthfeel from carbonation. Not overdone though to the point of harshness, just adds texture to go with the sour palate. Intriguing.

Not a favourite, but there is character enough to keep one exploring, albeit with more than a little trepidation. (1,752 characters)

330 ml bottle. Duchesse De Bourgogne pours out a Ruby color with a creamy head. The aroma is cherry, oak, and vinegar. The flavor starts out a sweet, but turns very sour. Fruity cherry flavor. I would be surprised if there were no cherries in this beer. A bit chocolatey. The finish is dry and woody. Medium mouthfeel with a high carbonation. This beer is definitely not for everyone. Overall I enjoyed it, but with each sip I alternated between thinking it tasted great and thinking it tasted nasty. I guess each beer lover will have to decide for himself. (557 characters)

Beautiful burgundy appearance. Deep dark red, fairly clear. Smells like a fantastic sour beer mixed with red wine. I really liked the aroma except there was a faint hint of metal. The tast up front is fantastic. Great sour bite that quickly fades into an almost soda-like sweetness. The finish of the beer is very sweet, more like wine than beer. The mouthfeel is soft. Subtle carbonation. The beer is very well-crafted but the drinkability is negatively affected by the sweetness in the finish. (495 characters)

Happy to be giving this a try, thanks to a Beers of the World gift certificate I received for graduation. My palate's leaning strongly towards wines and more assertive beers these days so I'm right in the mood for a Flanders Red.

Pours a reddish brown, more on the side of brown, with a soda-like off white head and lots of carbonation. Lots of bubbles sticking to the sides.

Aroma is of sweet vinegar and some minerals. Faint hints of meaty fruit like peaches or plums.

Taste is surprisingly sweet. Not too heavy on the sourness, which is a bit of a let down for me at the moment. Sometimes on the side of "rotten" moreso than "tart." Tastes like there's some brown malt in there or some equivalent that's pushing the beer more from "red" to "brown." Sweet like an English Brown ale towards the end and doesn't finish with any sourness.

Mouthfeel is effervescent and medium bodied. I'm already a bit tired of this thanks to the "rotten" taste. I was expecting more sour. I really enjoyed Ommegang Rouge and was hoping this would come close to it but it's definitely missed that mark for me. (1,097 characters)

T: Super sweet and some tartness as well. I'd say more on the sweet side. Fruit sugar, cherries and raspberries, blueberries, oak, sweet bread, a tad bit of caramel and coffee.

M: Medium and not much carbonation going on. Nice feel with a smooth flow.

O: I appreciate the complexity in flavor of the beer, but for my tastes, it is overly sweet. I enjoy a more tart flanders red rather than full-bodied sweet flanders. Overall it was a nice drink. (552 characters)

Poured thick and dark redish brown body with a thick head. Tastes of sour grapes/cherries but sweet like that of good champagne with a sour tart finish the mouthfeel was that of thicker champagne decently carbonated flanders reds are an aquired taste not to my liking but i am trying to be as objective as possible an above average interpretation of this style (360 characters)

11.2 oz Bottle Best Before 27/05/05 A reddish brown with no head and only a bit of a foam layer. Looks similar to thr Vichtenaar I just had. Slightly acidic aroma with notes of rotten cherries and peppercorns. Quite spicy. Body is lively with carbonation and with a crisp somewhat dry finish. Flavor is sweet and sour with slight vinegar and acidic notes. Some sour fruit also in the mix. Overall much better than the Vichtenaar in my opinion and has some good flavor. (468 characters)

A brownish beer with hints of red. Aromas of cranberry, cherry, and sour raspberry. An interesting interplay of sweet and sour flavors, but it lacked some of the complexity, especially the vinegar notes, that are found in the Rodenbach Grand Cru. It lost its way a little on the finish too. Still good, just not fantastic. (324 characters)

Part of my three-part series of intimidatingly sour/funky beers along with New Glarus' Sour Brown Ale, and Oude Gueuze.

Pours a striking dark ruby/garnet with a short, fading tan head. Nose is similar to the Sour Brown with the strong balsamic vinegar astringency along with tart lambic fruits. Taste starts with a quick vinegar/lambic sour bite and then gets sickly sweet with overripe granny smith apple peel and rancid citrus then finishes with a hint of dry tart. Mouthfeel is clean and bubbly. Would be a lot more drinkable if the sickly-sweetness was kept in check, but still certainly one of the most unique beer experiences I've had to date. (702 characters)

Interesting beer. One of the prettiest looking beers I have seen. Deep mahogany wood color with lacy white head. Had no idea what to expect when I picked up this 750 ml bottle. Tangy cherries and raspberries hit your tongue first off. Champagne bubblyness tickles your mouth. Smells of sloe gin. Light and refreshing mouthfeel. Extra points for being unique. (358 characters)

Pours a dark, hazy brown with flashes of burgundy into the chalice. Aroma is immediate and vinous. There's a strong component of vinegar, and a sour, musty, funky smell reminiscent of some lambics I've tried. Well carbonated, it forms a tan head, which recedes slowly to a frothy lace just covering the beer.

The taste delivers pretty much what the aroma promised. Intensely sour and strongly fruity, there is no bitterness readily apparent. The sourness seems to be fairly acidic, and pretty tart, and lingers after swallowing. The sweetness is subtle, and makes a stronger showing as the beer warms.

This is my first experience with a Flanders Red, and I find this beer to be interesting. That being said, it reminds me too much of fizzy wine, or perhaps a wine cooler mixed with champagne. Just not the sort of thing I normally go for. I'll try a few more examples of the style and revisit this. Some day. (914 characters)

Bottle from PapaEugene. Poured in a Urthel glass. The beers pours a nice deep-brown ruby color with a dense sticky head the lasted during almost the whole drinking.

The scent is ok, though my drinking buddy got flashbacks of his daughter being seriously ill and vomiting whole day. For me it wasn't that bad (probably because I don't have little children yet...). Quite sour, like red-wine vinegar, but with some hints of sweetness.

The taste is way better than the smell suggests. Smooth, soft, sweet cherries and red fruits, malty, with a well balanced, slightly sweet-sour aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is good too, smooth and soft, with a bit high carbonation.

Finally tasted this one after putting it off week after week. Served in the Duvel tulip at just above fridge temperature.

Appearance- Pours the color of raspberry iced tea with a smooth, creamy one-finger head. Settles to a thin mat after a few minutes.

Smell- Barnyard funk and sour cherries with an underlying sweetness.

Taste- Starts off like full flavored sour bubble gum, and finishes with an almost artificial sweetness. Candy ice cream. Awesome big taste, but the lingering aftertaste reminds me of Red Bull. That is not good.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Chewy and mouth-coating, smooth carbonation. A bit rough towards the end, with explosive activity towards the back of the throat. Aside from the saccharin-like notes in the taste, this is a decent Flanders sour ale that is readily available here. (817 characters)

Taste has more of that charred Jack Daniel's like character. Unfortunately this beer carries a lot of sweetness with it and it's a little bit too much for my tastes in sours. I can see why it comes in a 250mL. The charred aftertaste isn't quite enough to counteract all that sweet taste-bud stimulation when it's in the mouth. Some rose character but really just more Jack Daniel's.

Sweet, sweet mouthfeel with highly carbed body.

Overall an enjoyable and unique beer which could do with less sweetness and Jack Daniel's in its profile. (809 characters)

Pours a clear brown with hints of mahogany. A persistent and dense ivory head with nice fine lace. Smells sour, a bit vinegary (but in a good way). Vinuous and oaky nose.

I have heard this beer described as one of great depth but i'll be damned if I can find it. It's tart, like tart cherries. Then gets quite winelike and hints of oak but is overwhelmed by a cloying sweetness that overwhelms the palate and disappointingly chases all the sourness away. Very sticky mouth with a lingering tartness but no sour driness to speak of, the kind of thing I like in a Flemish Red. Because of the sweetness not too drinkable either. Not bad but not great. I have the rest of a four pack to let this one change my mind. (714 characters)

Slightly vinegary on the nose with hints of cherries and sour apple. Oak characteristics appear later.

The taste of this beer is understandably devisive. Sour, funky, and amazingly champaign-like in alot of ways. Sourness builds up in the bottom of the palate in a strangely addictive way. Oak is strong by the end.

Pours a reddish deep brown, copper when held to the light. Off white head without much retention. Smells strongly of balsamic vinegar, yeast, cherries, and grapes. Has a sharp up front taste, which proceeds to the feeling you have just ate a slice of bread. Not as sour as the aroma leads on, but could be too much for some people. (331 characters)